Kamiya: 'Bayonetta 2's' exclusivity up to Nintendo

Hideki Kamiya, the main man behind the high-flying sequel Bayonetta 2, won't move his upcoming Wii U exclusive to other consoles unless it's by Nintendo's orders.

[bicfitness]

When it bombs (which it will, surely) it will get the inevitable port. Or they'll just bury the IP entirely. I think it was a gross miscalculation to put this out on the Wii U alone. It should have been multiplatform from the start, perhaps with added DLC or something for the Wii U, if Platinum ever had any intentions of making the game sell. Why make a cult hit game, then release the sequel to an audience (Nintendo users) on a so-so performing console why are unfamiliar with the IP and more interested in Mario and Zelda? I assume that there was a boatload of money involved, but I doubt that much of that will actually be recouped. The original game sold under a million on both platforms combined, what are people at Nintendo HQ smoking to think that it will sell anywhere near that on an install base that will 1/10 (generous estimate, if they hit 10m by Christmas 2013) the size?

I'm also still not clear on who owns the IP. I would assume that Platinum does, but that Nintendo owns a stake of this particular sequel. I'm sure that litigious issues could be circumvented with a "Sigma" type release. A Bayonetta sequel with enough added content not to be called the Bayonetta 2.

[NewMonday]

It is like with GoW on the 360, Epic own the IP but MS have publishing rights.

Who is taking odds on Nintendo publishing a second party game on the PS3/360, they are fully funding the development of the game, meaning Platinum are fully payed for their work.

And this is the first time I heard of The Wonderful 101, it has a trailer on YouTube, a crazy game that finally makes the WiiU a must buy for me.

[bicfitness]

I could have sworn that MS was involved in the development of Ninja Gaiden 2 (that one actually says "MS Game Studios" right on the box) and possibly Mass Effect, and we know how that turned out.

3rd party exclusivity is entirely dead, only reason you'll see it is if it boils down to a lack of interest and/ or porting resources. Telling yourself otherwise is a myth.

The question still remains on who owns the IP. If Platinum do, which we have no reason or indicator to believe that they do not, then there are a number of ways to see a Bayonetta 2ish game on different platforms.

Edit: Sold around 1.75 million since 2009. Initial figure quoted was for the launch period.

[Ezz2013]

Epic own the Ip for gears and said they can do what ever they want with it
http://www.vg247.com/2010/0...

[NewMonday]

It all depends on the terms of the deal and the extent of the publishing rights.

For example Sony hold full rights to the Deamon Souls IP, but the developers want to go multi-platform so they had to go with a new name.

For GoW MS are probably paying more to Epic to keep exclusive and cover the potential sales on the PS3, becaus the game has become almost as big as Halo. But in the case of NG and Mass Effect they didn't pay extra so they became multi-platform.

But looking at similar kind of deals Nintendo did with Level-5 for professor Layton Nintendo can choose to keep holding the rights, or let it go if it doesn't sell much like case of NMH on the Wii wich released eventually on the Pas3

[Knight_Crawler]

The Mass Effect 1 releasing on the PS3 still has me puzzled.

I would understand if they called the game ME Alpha or something diffrent and change the color of the blood but the game is the same game that they release on the 360.

Maybe it had something to do with the agreement that MS signed with Bioware or maybe EA and MS worked out a deal where EA would give MS back next gen...guess we will never know as we dont have access to those type of things that happen behind closed dorrs.

[--Onilink--]

well that boatload of money you mention is actually Nintendo partially funding the game, because otherwise it would have never existed. So you can imagine Nintendo wont be funding a game that will go to other plataforms

[Kevlar009]

Nintendo could always sell rights for release on other consoles, it would depend if MS/Sony would buy in

[Starfox17]

It will sell 1 million unit plus why because we will be starving for a real NEXTGEN game period.

[bicfitness]

It won't be out till fall of this year at the earliest, and probably in Japan only at that point. There will be PS4 and Nextbox around the same time, so no one will be starving for real next-gen games as you've put it. And what will the Wii U install base even be at that period? 7 or 8 million? So you're proposing a 15% (ballpark) sell-through for a niche action title on a system purchased by Mario and Zelda fans? That's hardly realistic.

[OmegaSlayer]

Sega owns the IP. Period.

Basically Kamiya is saying this in a polite way:
"If Nintendo won't give us money to extend the duration of the timed exclusivity period, we will consider the contract fulfilled, and we will release on other platforms"

The problem is that fanboys don't see the reality.
Nintendo "saving" Bayonetta is PR speech, just to put Nintendo in good light with consumers.
Funding does mean a lot of things and not only that they used money to develop the game.
In this case, probably, Nintendo put the money to advertise, package and distribute the product.

You still don't understand how much valuable an Intellectual Property is, and how much it's protected by their owners.
No way Sega (or anyone else) will give to whoever publisher control over a property and lose chances to get other revenues.

If Bayonetta 2 would selll less than Sega would expect, their IP would be burnt unless they market it on other machines.
And International Right always favour the owner of a property over the publisher/distributor.
There is legislation about this stuff.
You should learn it kids.
Ask some lawyers

I think it's a big disservice that no big site explains those principles of the real World that applies to videogame business, but I understand that there wouldn't be anymore megatons to announce, clicks to get and people swalling the baits and filling console producers pockets.

Please grow up and learn that gaming is not MyLittlePony land.
Third party devs look at money, not fans, not rainbows.
They don't choose console wars sides.

[bicfitness]

Thank you for clearing that up (and reinforcing what I was saying at the same time). If Nintendo don't own the IP, what happens to Bayonetta after Bayonetta 2 is anyone's guess. I fully expect to see Bayonetta 2: Sigma Whatever in 2014.

[--Onilink--]

well it also seems you dont understand how a publishing deal can work.

The IP might be of another company (in this case its actually platinun, sega simply published the 1st one) but if on the publishing deal they sign, they have the exclusivity, unless the publisher agree's, the game CANNOT be released on another console.

Example of this, Mass Effect 1 was released on PS3 until Microsoft allowed (was paid by EA) it. Even though the IP was Bioware's, those were the terms of the publishing deal.

Some other examples, GoldenEye and PerfectDark. The publishing deal for PerfectDark did allowed for Rare to release the game on Xbox Live, however Nintendo did not allow such thing for GoldenEye.

So as you can see, there are many factors that can affect what happens, so I wouldnt be so quick to make the kind of statements that you are making.

I would actually be very surprised that Nintendo would sign a publishing deal for a game they are partially funding, that allows Platinum to release the game on other consoles, not saying it cant happen, but its EXTREMELY unlikely

[baldulf]

Sega and Platinum share the rights over the IP.

Nintendo has solely rights over the particular Bayonetta 2 game.

Even all merchandise revenues go to Sega.

[OmegaSlayer]

No.
http://www.covergalaxy.com/...
Sega owns all the rights to Bayonetta.
Read on the bottom left of the image.
That's the only truth you will ever have.
Printing false publishing rights infos is a freud, a crime.

You don't seem to understand.
Nintendo can't have rights on Bayonetta 2.
The character, name, fictional universe in Bayonetta is called "Intellectual Property", IP, and SEGA owns it. Period.
It's up to Sega decision how to use the brand and if they want to allow someone to market their IP.
But no one beside Sega can have "rights" of any kind over the Bayonetta IP and related stuff.

Sega can have for example Nintendo publishing in Japan, Microsoft in US and Sony in Eu at the same time (it will never happen but it's possible, just neither Ninty, Sony or MS would sign such deal), having Viz publishing the manga and Nike publish t-shirts at the same time.
Publishers usually markets and distribute the product, make investments that the owner wouldn't do and share the revenues.
Those contracts are ALWAYS timed.

Jesus guys, don't go over the internet spreading BS before understanding legal and commercial terms.

@Onilink, besides pulling it out from your butt, where did you get the false info that Platinum owns the Bayonetta rights?
Check the pic I attached to read the TRUTH.
Thanks.
Check your facts at least thrice before spreading bullshit on internet please.

One last thing, don't believe anything you read on Internet and please check if it's actual and possible in the reality.
People change the truth to accomodate their fanboyism.

[SuperShyGuy]

Do you really think if this game flops on Wii U, like the first on did on the PS360 (enough so that Sega didn't even want to make 2), anyone else is going to jump at the chance to publish a game that already would be a proved failure twice?

In fact you should hope for major success. Because then someone else would want a piece of the pie and the Sega would look for a loop hole.

[OmegaSlayer]

One last thing.

http://blog.eu.playstation....

Do you think Sony would advertise so much a game whose sequel won't be available on a Playstation platform?
Do you think Sony would be happy to build a fanbase that would eventually buy a WiiU instead of a PS4 to play Bayonetta2?

Bayonetta 2 is not a WiiU exclusive.
You're in denial listening to PR BS from a desperate Nintendo.

@Roccetarius
The game was already being build and developed on other platforms, then Nintendo shilled some cash for a timed exclusive.

People still think that PR tell people the truth.
7 years of gaming didn't serve anything.

I was on the Bioware forums asking daily Mass Effect on PS3.
I've been blocked on the official twitter account, the devs told me it wouldn't have happened...until the month before the announcement day.
All the time I and others had been asking, the game was in development.

Do not believe what the devs say.

I can also tell you for personal experience that they will hide behind the "we don't comment rumors and speculation" even when the cat slips out of the bag badly.

[Tei777]

I'm fairly confident it was either nintendo exclusivity or no money to fund the game lol.

Not only that but I think it will probably sell more units on the Wii U then, then the 1st game did across both the 360/ps3. Not only will it being an exclusive provide it with free promotion and added hype, there will also be less competition in regards to the wii U software line.

[Roccetarius]

I still don't believe Nintendo was the only one interested. The fact that it ends up as an exclusive is very sad. Goodbye existing fan base, welcome to a foreign land.

[Stroke666]

you know the phrase " no such thing as bad publicity" ? this will be the case, there are more people complaining than tere are people who actually bought the first game. but all the boohooing has peaked a shitload of wii u owners attention, now its certain it will sell well on the system then do another sequel exclusive to nintendo. i can't imagine it going multiplat.

[chamber]

That sucks i wished they found a multi-platform publisher. Why develop a fanbase as a multi-platform then shortchange the fans by not releasing a sequel on those platforms. I wished they offered new games to nintendo and kept boyetta a multi-platform.

I get Gears of Wars cause at the start they really decided to develop it with Microsoft

[Stroke666]

a fanbase of like 600,000 isnt really steep enough to worry about stepping on any toes. funny part is i bought part one on my 360 cause a friend suggested it. now part two is coming to my favorite companies console. lol i traded in my 360 to get my wii u. honestly cant say im disappointed. you can always go grab a wii u and enjoy it or I can send you a detailed review lol whatever floats your boat

[RTheRebel]

bayonetta 2 ain't going anywhere lol

[Blastoise]

People said that about Mass effect though..

[RTheRebel]

ea offered cash to microsoft for mass effect and m$ love money and they dont mind losing exclusives lol

[FinalomegaS]

did you just read the what I read?

“We’re a development company. Nintendo gives us money, we make Bayonetta 2 and Wonderful 101, and they sell it,” he said. “So, if Nintendo says ‘We’re putting Bayonetta 2 on PS3/360,’ it’ll come out on those platforms. So ask Nintendo about it…”

[wishingW3L]

and Ninja Gaiden and Resident Evil 4... But Kamiya seem loyal to Nintendo so I don't think it's gonna happen because he was the one that pushed to make the Resident Evil franchise exclusive to Nintendo after all. Kamiya's a Nintendo fanboy at heart. He even wrote angry comments on Twitter when PlayStation All-Stars was announced!

[lilbroRx]

Different circumstance.

[Starfox17]

This is a little more important than Rayman crappy legends played the demo its crap in my eyes,graphics are some of the best ive seen in a 2d platformer but its not that great.

[skyrimer]

oh the butthurt

[KontryBoy706]

They better make it multiplat. It will fail if they don't. I bet you it will turn multiplat. 100% sure. There are not enough wiis out there or wii owners who are interested in Bayonetta

[Starfox17]

Beyonetta2 Wonerful101 and LegoCityUndercover are staying wiiu exclusive that's for sure.

Nintendo are snatching alot more games and publishing them so i cant wait for a 3rd party Direct.

[Stroke666]

lol don't worry all the whining is getting this title alot of attention, thanks to your and others BNM'ing its gonna do probably triple wat the first sold. and remain exclusive

Get N
or get out lmmfao!

[KontryBoy706]

Honestly... I didn't buy the first one I was too busy with God of War III and won't care to purchase this one either. If It's multiplat or if I have a Wii U or Not. lmmfao.

[donman1]

In other words... if Nintendo was not publishing this game... it would go multiplatform also. And flood games are open. I see more of this "no longer exclusive" "delay with no set date" and other negativity for Wii U for 2013 as 3rd party developers start to gear up production of their IPs for the Xbox720 and PS4. Thank God for 1st and 2nd party games from Nintendo. Sigh!!!

[baldulf]

Whatever it may be the game won't sell more than a few thousand units.

[Theyellowflash30]

Thanks Pachter

[FinalomegaS]

As far as 3rd party exclusives, unless the main the company is paying the 3rd party to develop the game and publishing it. I don't see any other reason why the game can stay exclusive oh unless the main paid them for a time exclusive right.

So Rayman Legends... Nintendo wasn't publishing it nor did they invest in the development...

Bayonetta2 on the other hand falls in that category.

ZombiU... have a feeling about this but like Redsteel this might very well be the only Ubisoft WiiU exclusive...

Lego city, I know nintendo is publishing this not sure if they invested in the dev of it.

Everyone should use these guidelines, the coming new system gen will have a lot of exclusive talks and if it isn't being made by a 2nd party then we can say that 3rd parties are hungry for money. If they can sell their game to more people then eventually they will do it unless... it falls under the console is funding the publishing and development funding, then it gets kind of iffy.

Monster Hunter 3, Nintendo is funding publishing.marketing.server hosting.

[DEATHxTHExKIDx]

u dont make a sequel of a multiplat game exclusive that makes no sense.

[Shok]

......do you STILL not know what happened with this game? Good Lord......

[CouldHaveYelledUiiW]

Like trying to talk to zombies, Shok.

[DEATHxTHExKIDx]

IM fully aware Nintendo is the reason this game is being made. BUT still erks me its exclusive. Maybe at some point when more games come around ill pick up a wiiU.

[Williamson]

So the chances of bayonetta 2 coming to other consoles are low, but maybe an entirely different bayonetta game can come to the ps4, next Xbox? I guess I could just pick this up when I eventually get a wii U.

[wiiulee]

Nintendo should definetly work to make bayonetta exclusive to the wiiu and keep those blind sony and Microsoft fanboys crying....and playing shinier halo and killzone

[CouldHaveYelledUiiW]

Bayonetta X Zero Suit Samus?

Just throwing it into the Zeitgeist...

[CouldHaveYelledUiiW]

"He said. 'So, if Nintendo says ‘We’re putting Bayonetta 2 on PS3/360,’ it’ll come out on those platforms. So ask Nintendo about it…”'

So, there you go Sony and Microsoft fan-boys (who would rather see the game die than be on another plat.)...

Go BEG Nintendo...

[LOL_WUT]

No thanks. ;) But judging by his comment it doesn't seem likes he's too confident about the game staying on the Nintendo platform, just my thoughts.

[CouldHaveYelledUiiW]

LOL
I knew that wasn't going to happen. ;)

And how could it not stay on Nintendo's platform when Nintendo funded the game from the ground-up?

Just my thoughts right back.

I ADD: (leaving out PS4 and 720, just talking about PS3 and 360)

Nintenolife Interview:

NL: Do you find the Wii U to be more powerful than the 360 and PS3?
JK: In a word yes – it’s very capable, and we’re taking advantage of this to bring greater graphical fidelity to the Wii U version of Sniper Elite V2.
NL: If you had the chance to build the game from the ground up for the Wii U, would you make any more changes?
JK: It’s too hard to say at this stage – I think our use of the GamePad for Sniper Elite: V2 on Wii U is already a big step forward for the series.

http://n4g.com/news/1169833...

http://www.nintendolife.com...

SO, can we stop saying WiiU is not better than 360 and PS3?

[Thepcz]

its a nintendo exclusive and that wont ever change.

nintendo are not microsoft or sony, they wont sell their software for other platform owners to enjoy,. its their asset so they will keep it on their hardware.

just buy a wiiu

[Benjaminkno]

This isn't news.
Bayonetta 2 sat around for at least two years without a publisher. Nobody wanted to take the risk, so Nintendo snatched it up.

U mad bro?

[Bronxs15]

i have a wii u and will buy this game. but i think after seeing how games on ps4 will look i will wonder how much better it could have been.

i played and enjoyed the first bayonetta and i purchased it on 360 b/c that version looked a lot better than ps3 version. and didn't load to bring up the pause screen :'(

[wiium64]

what ever helps the sony and microsoft fan boys sleep better at night, look mario is coming to ps3 and 360, so is zelda and metroid!!! there timed exclusives!!!
i am so glad i live in reality and not in fatasy land like they do, dream on kiddies dream on! how sad and pathetic.. bayonetta 2 is going to stay on wii u period, not because a bunch of delusional fan boys say so, because platnium and nintendo say so! my god, i did not know how stupid people really are!!

[specialguest]

Bayonetta 3 will also be a Wii U exclusive. There, i said it lol.

[kupomogli]

Bayonetta 2 is one of the very few exclusives that is in development for the Wii U. Fanboys are going to buy it over other titles simply because it's exclusive.

By some chance Bayonetta 2 ever goes multiconsole, all hell will break loose. Just like the PS360 fanboys that bashed Platinum for Bayonetta 2 going exclusive or just like Nintendo fanboys once Rayman Legends was announced multiconsole.

Apparently Rayman Legends sucks now because it's not exclusive. I'll never understand why people don't want to get a game just because of that.

[ThatsGaming]

I predict Bayonetta 2 Sigma for PS3 and 360...

That is the way around these ridiculous contracts.

[KnightRobby]

I think it all comes down to one thing: How Nintendo thinks their projected earnings will fair against 2 brand new, next-generation consoles (that, in my humble opinion, could also double as DVR's, etc). It all comes down to the big announcements.

Then I think Nintendo will decide for timed exclusives or not. There's so many huge companies of old that are now gone. In this day and age, it comes down to survival a lot of the times.

Me personally? I'd love to see all of them compete against one another. It's just that there's a LOT of competition now - and it is coming from all directions.

Will be interesting, that's for sure.

[wiium64]

yeah fanboys know moer than the developer, who makes the game, and if no one cares about this game coming to the wii u, then why are so many fanboys saying it's not exclusive, when in reality it is, SINCE NINTENDO PAID FOR IT... yeah it's wii u only, but maybe the fanboys are jealous, that they are not getting this game, if you say you don't want, then why whine about it being exclusive?, yeah, you want it and the only way you get it is by getting a wii u, FACT NOT AN OPINION..HOW DO YOU KNOW IT WILL COME ON OTHER SYSTEMS, WHEN THE MAIN DEVELOPER OF the game says it is not????sorry, i will take their word over a delusional fanboy, any day of the week..IT WILL COME TO THE OTHER MACHINES!!!!...WHY, BECAUSE YOU SAY SO?
HOW stupid!!! no it won't come, just keep waiting in your fantasy little world fanboys.

[t3gamenews]

all these years of companies skipping us wii owners, & now wii u is out some are still skipping us, & & we get a few exclusives. would other companies make there games on wii or wii u? will we see gta 5 on wii u? will we see far cry 3 on wii u? gears of war? the last of us? crysis 3? tomb raider? then why should we care about putting bayonetta on other consoles? let bayonetta 2 be wii u exclusive, & give us the 1st one eshop or something. tired of loseing exclusives too... no more heroes, conduit, ect.

[Enigma_2099]

Aaaaaand the finger pointing has begun.